Optical synchronization for opcpa chains

Abstract

We demonstrate two types of all-optical synchronization of two lasers based on dissimilar gain materials, that significantly simplify the scheme for optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA). Both methods lead to negligible timing jitter between the OPCPA seed and pump and eliminate one master oscillator and all synchronization electronics. In the first approach, a fraction of a broadband Ti:sapphire seed oscillator centered at 760 nm is frequency shifted in a photonic crystal fiber to enable synchronized seeding of a picosecond Nd:YAG pump laser. The seed radiation at 1064 nm is produced in the soliton regime which makes it inherently more intense and stable in comparison with other methods of frequency conversion. In the second approach, we further simplify the setup by employing direct optical seeding of a Nd: YLF amplifier from the NIR wing of our Ti: sapphire oscillator. Our work opens up the exciting possibility to use sub-picosecond pump pulse from highly efficient Yb-based amplifiers for jitterless parametric amplification of carrier-envelope phase stabilized pulses from Ti:sapphire oscillators. © 2007 Springer-Verlag New York.